Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement
Engage Me or Enrage Me:
Effective & Engaging Strategies for
Student Success
Kris Britton
Mission Possible Program Specialist,
Guilford County Schools
Essential Question
How do effective and engaging strategies motivate students to learn?
Outcomes
By the end of the session participants will …
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Understand the research supporting student engagement
Discuss reasons why students lack engagement in the classroom
Identify characteristics of teachers who motivate students to learn
Identify and model strategies that foster student engagement
Analyze mistakes that derail student engagement
NCPTS: Standard II
Teachers establish a respectful environment for a
diverse population of students
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a
positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.
Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in
the world.
Teachers treat students as individuals.
Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with
special needs.
Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant
adults in the lives of their students.
Agenda
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Introduction & Research
Why are Students Enraged
Motivation & Engagement
Strategies That Foster Engagement
Mistakes that Derail Engagement
Questions & Feedback
Research Based Practice
Three Types of Students (Perensky, 2005)
Self-motivated
Auto Pilot
Tune us out
Research Based Practice
Why are many students so enraged? (Perensky 2005)
High
Engagement
at Home
Lack of
Choices
Short
Attention
Spans for
“Old
Teaching”
―There are three important things to remember
about education. The first one is motivation, the
second is motivation, and the third is motivation.‖
—Terrell Bell, former U.S. Secretary of Education
Research Based Practice
For students to learn, they must be motivated.
Alderman, M. K. (1999). Motivation for achievement: Possibilities for teaching
and learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Anderman, L. H., & Midgley, C. (1998). Motivation and middle school
students. ERIC Digest. Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early
Childhood Education.
Blake Harrison, Founder, Creative Director www.flocabulary.com
Brewster, C., & Fager, J. (2000, October). Increasing student engagement
and motivation: From time-on-task to homework. Portland, OR: Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory.
Stipek, D. J. (1996). Motivation and instruction. In D. C. Berliner & R. C.
Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (pp. 85–113). New York:
MacMillan.
Motivation
Six Variables of Motivation (Kagan, 2003)
 Success
 Concern
 Interest
 Meaning
 Knowledge of results
 Positive feeling tone
Create Sign Language
Instructions:
Your group has 4 minutes to create sign
language that matches each variable of
motivation. You should have 6 distinct
signs (movements)by the time you are
done.
Pause for a Cause
Motivation
Eight Characteristics that Motivate & Engage (Sass, 1989)
Instructor's enthusiasm
 Relevance of the material
 Organization of the course
 Appropriate difficulty level of the
material
 Active involvement of students
 Variety
 Rapport between teacher and
students
 Use of appropriate, concrete, and
understandable examples

Design a Tee & Ball Cap
Instructions
TIME LIMIT: 6 MINUTES
Work independently to decorate each:
Tee Shirt:
Pick one of the 8 characteristics of teachers who
motivate and design a tee shirt for that teacher.
Ball Cap:
Pick a different characteristic of teachers who motivate
and design a ball cap that he would not wear.
Pause for a Cause
Let’s Move
TASK:
2 Walls & 4 Chairs
INFORMATION:
3 Variables of Motivation
2 Characteristics the Motivate
1Reason students are enraged
MODE:
Hop, Strut, or Dance
Motivation
Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2003)
“There is no such thing as unmotivated students. There
are, however, students in unmotivated states.”
Eric Jensen
Motivation
Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2003)
Brain
Communication
Brain
Chemical
Moods &
Feelings
How we feel is what it real – it’s the link to what we think!
Strategies for Changing States of Mind
Capture the Senses
Music
Sound Effects
Lighting
Aroma / Scents
Tonality
Strategies for Changing States of Mind
Physical Movement
Change seats
Crossovers
Change in posture
Strategies for Changing States of Mind
Proximity
Teacher Movement
Desk Formation
Student Spacing
Strategies for Changing States of Mind
Redirect Attention
Hold Object
Jokes
Ask Compelling Question
Tell a Story
Student Engagement
Three Rules of Engagement
Teachers must think about
learning before they think about
teaching. (Jensen)
The brain is not designed to
get complex learning correct
the first time. (Jensen)
Students expect to be engaged in
their daily lives, outside of the
classroom. (Perensky, 2005)
Three Rules of Student Engagement
#1 Think about learning before teaching. (Jensen, 2003)
The one doing the talking is the
on doing the learning.
Purposeful, constant, targeted
instruction matters most.
Most students are not wired to
simply pay attention to a
classroom lesson.
Three Rules of Student Engagement
#2 The brain is not designed to get complex learning
correct the first time. (Jensen)
We make
rough
drafts
Feedback
is
necessary
We need
to make
sense of
it
Three Rules of Student Engagement
#3 Students expect to be engaged in their daily lives, outside
of the classroom. (Perensky)
Students go home to
download songs, make music,
make movies, play video games.
Many third graders report
having multiple email
addresses.
Students without computers
report having cell phones,
Ipods, and video games.
Students multi-task with great
proficiency, when they are
interested in the tasks at hand.
Research Based Practice
Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2003)
“Savvy teachers engage strategies based on solid
research and they do them so consistently that
sometimes miracles happen.”
Eric Jensen
Pause for a Cause
Strategies that Foster Student Engagement
Name Dropping
Class Members
School Staff
Musicians
Actors
Fashion Label
Athletes
Strategies that Foster Student Engagement
Teenage Vices
Facebook
Frenzy
Create a
comic strip
Interpret the
Slang
Blank Tee
Shirt / Hat /
Flag
Text Your
Answer
Strategies that Foster Student Engagement
Keep it Moving
Sequencing
/ Sorting
cards
Smiley
Signs
Words &
Gestures
Puzzle
Pieces
Strategies that Foster Student Engagement
Mind Games
Categories
High Order
Thinking
Synectics
Synectics Activity
Strategies that Foster Student Engagement
Who’s Got Game
Show Your
Boards
Trashketball
Stump
the
Teacher
Who’s
Got
Game?
Cups &
Chips
Game
Shows
“Derailers” of Student Engagement
Common Mistakes
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Misuse of PowerPoint presentations
Lack of varied strategies
Too much / too little teacher control
Silence is not always learning
Teaching can go on without learning occurring
No summarizations– too much too fast, won’t last
Measuring Learning vs. Classroom Management
Lack of context
Focus is on fun rather than the objective
Weak transitions
Poor Classroom Management
Failure to establish deadlines
Giving students the answers
Conclusion
When you say, ―Class pay attention to me,‖ you are really
saying, ―I have nothing relevant or engaging to say. I have
planned no way to engage you today. I have resorted to
authority – I am relying on the fact that you must be here.‖
Eric Jenson
Teacher Doggie Bag
Modeled Structures
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Anticipation Guide
Emotional Hook
Reward System (Chips / Cups)
Collaborative Grouping / Pairing
Handouts
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Strategies that Foster Engagement Handout
Jensen’s Principles of Mindful Instruction Handout
Movement Chart for the Classroom
Strategies for Changing Students’ States of Mind
Lesson Plans Based on Topics of Interest
Questions and Answers
Additional Resources
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ASCD
For more resources related to student engagement, visit the ASCD Web site at
http://www.ascd.org.
Every Child Learning: Safe and Supportive Schools
The latest publication of the Learning First Alliance, a partnership of 12 national education
associations, this report provides an in-depth, research-based blueprint to guide educators
and policymakers in establishing safe and supportive school environments. Available online
at http://www.learningfirst.org.
First Amendment Schools: Educating for Freedom and Responsibility
For information about the project, visithttp://www.firstamendmentschools.org, or contact
ASCD's Mike Wildasin at 1-703-575-5475 or mwildasi@ascd.org.
Project-Based Learning
The George Lucas Educational Foundation (http://www.glef.org), a nonprofit organization
devoted to gathering and disseminating information about innovative models of teaching
and learning, has numerous resources related to project-based learning.
Small Schools
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to helping administrators, teachers,
and communities redesign large high schools into smaller, more personalized schools with
high expectations for all students. To learn more about the foundation's Small Schools
Initiative, seehttp://www.gatesfoundation.org.
Contact Information
Kris Britton, MP Program Specialist
Brittok@gcsnc.com
336.254.1874